Can You Get a Mortgage on Benefits? A Complete Guide for 2026

Yes, you may be able to get a mortgage while receiving benefits. Most UK lenders will consider benefit income alongside earned income, and a smaller group will consider applications where benefits are your main income. What varies enormously between lenders is which benefits they accept, how much of that income they will actually use, and whether the benefit needs to last for the whole of your mortgage term.

Key takeaway: Receiving benefits does not rule out a mortgage. Around twenty lenders will consider an application where benefits make up the majority of your income, and those include high street names, not only specialists. The right lender for one person can be completely wrong for another, which is why being matched properly matters more here than on almost any other type of application.

[[stats: 20+ = Lenders who consider benefits as main income | 100% = Of some benefits used by some lenders | 8 = Benefit types covered in this guide | Whole of market = Independent lender access | No obligation = Initial conversation | National coverage = Wherever you live]]

Here is how the main benefit types are generally treated across the lender market.

[[table: Benefit | General lender appetite | Typical amount used ;; Personal Independence Payment (PIP) | Widely accepted | 50% to 100% ;; Disability Living Allowance (DLA) | Widely accepted | 50% to 100% ;; Child Benefit | Widely accepted, often age-limited | Usually 100% ;; Universal Credit | Widely accepted, housing element usually excluded | 50% to 100% ;; Carer's Allowance | Fairly widely accepted | 50% to 100% ;; Attendance Allowance | Mixed | 50% to 100% ;; Guardian's or Special Guardianship Allowance | Mixed | 30% to 100% ;; Adoption Allowance | Mixed | 50% to 100% ]]

Can you get a mortgage if you receive benefits?

Yes. Benefit income is a recognised income type across the mortgage market, and lenders assess it in much the same way they assess any other income: they want to know it is genuine, that it is being received regularly, and that it is likely to continue.

The difficulty is not that benefits are unacceptable. It is that lender policies on benefits are inconsistent and almost never published anywhere a consumer can see them. Two lenders can look at identical circumstances and reach completely different answers, simply because one uses 100% of a particular benefit and another uses 50%, or because one has an age cut-off the other does not.

Every application is still subject to a full affordability assessment. Benefit income does not bypass that, and it should not. The question a lender is answering is whether the mortgage is genuinely affordable and sustainable for you, not simply whether the income exists on paper.

Benefits as top-up income, or as your main income?

This is the single most important distinction, and most people searching for help on this topic do not realise there are two very different questions.

Benefits alongside earned income

By far the most common situation. Someone works, and also receives child benefit, PIP, DLA or carer's allowance. Here the answer is usually yes, and the realistic choice of lender is wide. What varies is how much of the benefit counts towards affordability.

Benefits as the majority of your income

Much less widely catered for, but far from impossible. Around twenty lenders will consider an application where benefits make up most or all of the income, and they include Halifax, NatWest, Barclays, TSB, Santander, Nationwide and HSBC, alongside specialists such as Together, Norton Home Loans and Bluestone.

That surprises most people, because the assumption is that no mainstream lender will look at it. Several will. What tends to narrow the options further is the combination of factors: benefits as main income plus a small deposit, or plus adverse credit, or plus a benefit that ends partway through the term.

Good to know: Some lenders take a middle position rather than a straight yes or no. Skipton and Leeds Building Society both accept a wide range of benefits, but cap the total benefit income at the level of the earned income on the application. So benefits can effectively double what is assessed, but cannot exceed it. United Trust Bank requires at least £25,000 of earned income before any benefit income is added at all.

How much of your benefit income actually counts?

Almost no lender simply adds your benefit income to your salary and works from the total. Most apply a percentage, and the range is wide enough to change the outcome completely.

[[table: Lender | How benefit income is treated ;; NatWest | Up to 100% of DLA and PIP, 100% of carer's allowance, up to 100% of child benefit ;; Barclays | 100% of Universal Credit, PIP and carer's allowance, subject to the housing element being excluded ;; Halifax | Accepts a wide range at full value, subject to standard affordability ;; TSB | Keys 100% but uses 60% for affordability across most benefit types ;; Santander | Universal Credit 70%, PIP and DLA 65%, carer's allowance 50% ;; Accord | 60% of most benefit types, capped at 100% of earned income ;; Foundation | 50% of Universal Credit and carer's allowance, 100% of PIP ;; Hanley Economic | Universal Credit and PIP restricted to 50% ;; Generation Home | Accepts most types, but benefits cannot make up 50% or more of the income needed ]]

Criteria correct as at 19 August 2026 and reviewed quarterly. Lender criteria in this area change regularly, so please treat this as a general guide rather than a live comparison.

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Will your benefit still be paid when your mortgage ends?

This is the question that catches people out, and it is more important than whether a lender accepts the benefit at all.

Where a benefit is due to stop partway through your mortgage term, many lenders will not use it. The most common example is child-related income. If your child is three years old and you apply for a 25 year mortgage, child benefit will stop roughly seventeen years into the term. Several lenders will simply decline to use that income, even though they accept child benefit in principle.

Example: HSBC accepts child benefit, child tax credit and Child Support Agency awards. But that income has to be evidenced across the whole mortgage term. If the benefit will stop before the term ends, it cannot be used. The same principle appears in different forms across the market.

Different lenders draw the line in different places, and the age of your child at the point of application is often the deciding factor:

• Dudley Building Society - children must be under 13 at the date of application
• Generation Home - child benefit must continue for at least five years, so the child needs to be 13 or younger
• Foundation - child benefit accepted for children up to 14
• Earl Shilton - child must be 12 or under on a five year product, or 14 or under on a two year product
• Norton Home Loans - children 14 or under can be taken to term; between 14 and 19 a plausible explanation is needed for how the income will be replaced
• NatWest - where the benefit ends within five years, they will consider whether you can replace that income, and if not it should not be used
• Nationwide - benefits must be likely to be paid for the foreseeable future at their current level or higher

There is often a practical solution. A shorter mortgage term can bring the end of the mortgage inside the period the benefit will still be paid, which changes a decline into an approval. That has to be balanced against the higher monthly payment a shorter term brings, and whether that is genuinely affordable for you.

Which lenders accept which benefits?

The list below runs from the most accommodating lenders down. Expand any lender to see how they treat benefit income.

[[accordion: NatWest - among the most accommodating|Accepts Universal Credit, PIP, DLA, carer's allowance, child benefit, attendance allowance, guardian's allowance and adoption allowance. Up to 100% of DLA and PIP, 100% of carer's allowance and up to 100% of child benefit. Will consider applications where income is made up primarily of benefits, subject to underwriting. Where a benefit ends within five years they will look at whether the income can be replaced. ;; Barclays - 100% of most benefit types|Accepts Universal Credit at 100%, PIP at 100% and carer's allowance at 100%, plus child benefit, attendance allowance and DLA. Will consider applications where income is made up primarily of benefits. Two important limits: the housing element of Universal Credit is treated separately, and PIP or DLA paid for a dependant rather than the applicant cannot be used. Child benefit is excluded where an applicant's total gross income is above £50,000 or the child is over 13. ;; Halifax - broad acceptance across the range|Accepts Universal Credit, PIP, DLA, carer's allowance, child benefit, child tax credits and attendance allowance, and will consider applications where income is made up primarily of benefits subject to a standard affordability assessment. DLA cannot be used where it is received for a third party such as a dependant. Does not accept guardian's or adoption allowance. ;; Nationwide - accepts the full range with a referral route|Accepts Universal Credit, PIP, DLA, carer's allowance, child benefit, attendance allowance, guardian's allowance and adoption allowance. Applications where income is made up primarily of benefits are handled through a referral route rather than declined. Benefits must be likely to be paid for the foreseeable future at their current level or higher, and the latest award notice is required. ;; Together - specialist, accepts every benefit type reviewed|Accepts Universal Credit, PIP, DLA, carer's allowance, child benefit, attendance allowance, guardian's allowance and adoption allowance, and will consider income made up primarily of benefits. Where a benefit will end during the term, they ask for a letter explaining how the payments will be sustained afterwards. Does not accept maintenance that is not court ordered. ;; Norton Home Loans - accepts benefits as sole income|Accepts the full range of benefit types reviewed and will consider applicants whose income is 100% benefits. Child related income can be taken to term where children are 14 or under. Between 14 and 19, a feasible explanation is needed for how the income will be replaced, and they will take the income past the child's 19th birthday if that explanation stacks up. ;; Skipton Building Society - generous, but capped at earned income|Accepts Universal Credit, PIP, DLA, carer's allowance, special guardianship allowance, child benefit and attendance allowance. Child benefit at 100% where each applicant's total gross income is under £60,000. The key limitation is that where benefit income is greater than earned income, the benefit is capped at the earned amount. Does not accept the housing element of Universal Credit. ;; TSB - keys 100%, uses 60%|Accepts Universal Credit, PIP, DLA, carer's allowance, child benefit and attendance allowance. The pattern is consistent: key 100% of the benefit and 60% is used for affordability. Notably, DLA, PIP, carer's allowance, child benefit and attendance allowance can all be considered with no main income keyed at all. Child benefit is used where the customer earns less than £60,000. ;; Santander - accepts widely, at reduced percentages|Universal Credit at 70%, PIP and DLA at 65%, guardian's allowance at 65%, carer's allowance at 50%, and attendance allowance as a secondary income. Will consider clients whose income is made up primarily of benefits. Child benefit cannot be used where an applicant's gross income is over £60,000. Does not accept adoption allowance. ;; HSBC - accepts, but with a strict term test|Accepts Universal Credit, PIP, DLA, child benefit, child tax credit, Working Tax Credit and Child Support Agency awards, and will consider income made up primarily of these. Does not accept carer's allowance, guardian's allowance or adoption allowance. The critical rule is that the income must be evidenced across the whole mortgage term, so a benefit that stops before the term ends cannot be used. ;; Leeds Building Society - strong, but needs a primary income|Accepts Universal Credit using a three month average, PIP, carer's allowance at 100%, child benefit at 100%, attendance allowance at 100%, guardian's allowance and adoption allowance. Total benefit income is capped at 100% of the primary income on the application, and there must be a primary income present. Child benefit is not used where a sole applicant earns over £60,000, and DLA must be guaranteed for life with no review periods. ;; Accord Mortgages - 60% across the board|Accepts Universal Credit, PIP, DLA and carer's allowance at 60%, and child benefit where the applicant earns over £50,000. The benefit amount used cannot exceed 100% of the earned income on the application, so there must be another earned income present. Guardian's and adoption allowance are only considered in exceptional circumstances. Does not accept attendance allowance. ;; Generation Home - accepts widely, but never the majority|Accepts Universal Credit, PIP, DLA, carer's allowance, child benefit, attendance allowance, guardian's allowance and adoption allowance. The consistent rule is that benefit income cannot make up 50% or more of the income needed to support the application. Child benefit must continue for at least five years, so the child needs to be 13 or younger. The housing allowance element of Universal Credit cannot be included. ;; Cambridge Building Society - case by case|Accepts Universal Credit on a case by case basis, and PIP, carer's allowance and attendance allowance at underwriter discretion. Accepts DLA, child benefit and adoption allowance. Does not accept guardian's allowance, and does not accept income made up primarily of benefits. A good option where circumstances need a human to look at them rather than a fixed rule. ;; Newcastle for Intermediaries - selective|Accepts DLA at 100% where the payment is guaranteed for life, and accepts PIP. Does not accept Universal Credit, carer's allowance, child benefit, attendance allowance, guardian's allowance or adoption allowance, and does not accept income made up primarily of benefits. Worth knowing about for disability benefit cases specifically rather than as a general benefits lender. ;; Perenna - long term fixed rates, selective on benefits|Accepts DLA up to 100%, PIP and attendance allowance. Does not accept Universal Credit, carer's allowance, child benefit, guardian's allowance or adoption allowance, and does not accept income made up primarily of benefits. Accepts maintenance at 50% where the child is 13 or under and payments will continue at least five years. ;; Coventry Building Society - maintenance yes, benefits no|A useful contrast. Coventry accepts both court ordered and non court ordered child maintenance as an income source where the child is 12 or under at application, evidenced by three months of bank statements. However it does not accept Universal Credit, PIP, DLA, carer's allowance, child benefit, attendance allowance, guardian's allowance or adoption allowance at all. ;; Aldermore - specialist, accepts benefits as main income|Accepts Universal Credit, PIP, DLA and carer's allowance, and will consider applications where income is made up primarily of benefits. DLA is acceptable where the benefit is in the applicant's own name and cannot be used where it is received for a child. Does not accept child benefit, attendance allowance, guardian's allowance or adoption allowance. Often relevant where there is also adverse credit. ;; Bluestone Mortgages - adverse credit specialist|Accepts DLA at up to 100% provided it is for the benefit of the applicant rather than a third party or child, plus Universal Credit, PIP and carer's allowance, and will consider income made up primarily of benefits. Does not accept child benefit, attendance allowance, guardian's or adoption allowance. Accepts court ordered maintenance at up to 100%. ;; Pepper Money - adverse credit specialist|Accepts DLA at 100%, Universal Credit, PIP and carer's allowance. Does not accept child benefit, attendance allowance, guardian's or adoption allowance, and does not accept income made up primarily of benefits. Accepts maintenance both through and outside the courts, but requires a minimum income of £18,000 per application to be achieved through earned income only. ;; Vida Homeloans - adverse credit specialist|Accepts DLA at 50%, guardian's allowance at 100% provided it is not the main source of income, plus Universal Credit, PIP, carer's allowance and child benefit. Benefit income must not form the major source of income. Does not accept adoption allowance or attendance allowance. Accepts court ordered maintenance only. ;; Precise Mortgages - adverse credit specialist|Accepts Universal Credit, PIP, carer's allowance and child benefit. Does not accept DLA, attendance allowance, guardian's or adoption allowance, and does not accept income made up primarily of benefits. Accepts 50% of court ordered maintenance with a minimum of three years left to run based on the children's ages, and does not accept non court ordered maintenance.]]

Criteria correct as at 19 August 2026 and reviewed quarterly. This is not an exhaustive list of lenders and it is not a recommendation of any particular lender. A mortgage broker at Quanstrom Financial can confirm which of these fits your own circumstances.

Child maintenance: court ordered and private arrangements

Maintenance is not a benefit, but it comes up constantly alongside benefit income and lenders treat the two very differently depending on how the arrangement was made.

The pattern across the market is clear. Almost every lender will consider maintenance paid under a court order or a Child Maintenance Service assessment. Considerably fewer will consider a private arrangement between two parents with nothing formal behind it.

[[table: Lender | Court ordered or CMS | Private arrangement ;; NatWest | Up to 100% | Up to 100% ;; Barclays | 100% subject to sustainability | 100% subject to sustainability ;; Halifax | Accepted with 3 months bank statements | Accepted with 3 months bank statements ;; Skipton | 100% | 100% ;; Coventry | Accepted, child 12 or under | Accepted, child 12 or under ;; Nationwide | Accepted with 3 months bank statements | Accepted with 3 months bank statements ;; TSB | Key 100%, use 60% | Key 100%, use 60% ;; Santander | 65% | 65% where historically paid ;; Leeds | Up to 100% as secondary income | Not accepted ;; HSBC | 100% | Not accepted ;; Precise | 50% | Not accepted ;; Together | Accepted | Not accepted ]]

Two points worth drawing out. Leeds Building Society will consider child maintenance from a court order or CMS even where the maintenance will not run for the full mortgage term, which is unusual and genuinely useful where children are older. And several lenders that decline private arrangements outright will accept exactly the same payments once they are formalised through the Child Maintenance Service, which is sometimes the single step that makes an application work.

Benefits and adverse credit together

Benefit income and a poor credit history are assessed separately, but the realistic choice of lender narrows considerably when both apply. That is when specialist lenders such as Pepper Money, Precise, Aldermore, Vida and Bluestone become relevant, since they are built to look at circumstances rather than run an automated score.

The trade off is usually a higher interest rate and often a larger deposit. Our guide to adverse credit mortgages covers how lenders weigh up defaults, CCJs and missed payments, and it is worth reading alongside this page if both apply to you. It is also worth knowing that what feels like a serious credit problem to you can look mild to a lender, and the reverse is also true.

How a mortgage broker at Quanstrom Financial can help

Almost none of the information on this page is published anywhere a consumer can reach it. Lender criteria on benefit income sit behind intermediary systems, which is precisely why so many people are told no when the answer with a different lender would have been yes.

A mortgage broker at Quanstrom Financial can:

• Identify which lenders accept the specific benefits you receive, and how much of that income they will use
• Check whether your benefit will still be payable at the end of the term, and look at whether a different term length changes the outcome
• Explain what evidence each lender will want, such as award letters and bank statements, before you apply
• Reduce the risk of a declined application leaving a mark on your credit file

We are a whole-of-market mortgage broker, so you do not need to approach lender after lender yourself. Fees vary depending on your circumstances, and we will explain any costs clearly before you proceed.

Above all, an adviser's job here is to establish whether a mortgage is genuinely affordable and sustainable for you, not simply whether one is technically possible. If it is not the right time, we will say so.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a mortgage if I am on Universal Credit?

Yes, this may be possible. Universal Credit is accepted as an income type by a wide range of lenders including Halifax, NatWest, Barclays, TSB, Santander, Nationwide and HSBC. The housing element is usually excluded, and the amount used varies from around 50% with some lenders to 100% with others, so the lender you approach makes a significant difference.

Can I use PIP towards a mortgage?

Personal Independence Payment is one of the most widely accepted benefits across the market. Several lenders including Barclays and NatWest can use up to 100% of it, while others use 50% to 65%. PIP generally needs to be paid to the mortgage applicant rather than for a dependant, and some lenders will want to see that the award is long term.

Can I get a mortgage if benefits are my only income?

It may be possible. Around twenty lenders will consider applications where income is made up primarily of benefits, including some high street names. Fewer will lend where there is no earned income at all, and affordability is assessed just as rigorously, so it depends heavily on the amount you need to borrow relative to that income.

Do lenders count child benefit as income?

Many do, often at 100%, but usually with conditions attached. Several lenders apply an age limit based on how old your child is at the point of application, and several exclude child benefit where an applicant's income is above £50,000 or £60,000. The benefit also generally needs to still be payable at the end of your mortgage term.

What happens if my benefit stops before the mortgage ends?

Many lenders will not use income that stops partway through the term, which most commonly affects child related benefits. Some will accept it where you can give a plausible explanation of how the income will be replaced. A shorter mortgage term can sometimes bring the end of the mortgage inside the period the benefit will still be paid, though that means higher monthly payments.

Can I use carer's allowance for a mortgage?

Several lenders accept carer's allowance, with NatWest and Barclays able to use up to 100% and Santander around 50%. It is worth knowing that some lenders which accept most other benefits, including HSBC, do not accept carer's allowance at all, so this is one where lender choice narrows more than people expect.

Will I need a bigger deposit if I receive benefits?

Not necessarily because of the benefits themselves. Deposit requirements are driven mainly by the lender and the overall strength of the application. Where the choice of lender is narrower, the deposits available can be narrower too, and if adverse credit also applies then a larger deposit is more likely to be needed.

What evidence will I need to provide?

Typically your most recent award letter or notice for each benefit, plus three months of bank statements showing the payments arriving. Requirements vary: some lenders want a full Universal Credit statement with a breakdown, and some ask for twelve months of evidence rather than three. An adviser can tell you exactly what your chosen lender needs before you apply.

Does receiving benefits affect my credit score?

No. Receiving benefits is not recorded on your credit file and does not affect your credit score. What matters to a lender is your payment history on credit commitments, your overall affordability, and whether your income is sustainable.

Is child maintenance treated the same as a benefit?

No, lenders treat it separately. The key distinction is whether the arrangement is formal. Almost every lender will consider maintenance paid under a court order or Child Maintenance Service assessment, while considerably fewer accept an informal private arrangement. Formalising an existing arrangement through the CMS is sometimes what makes an application work.

Can I remortgage if my circumstances have changed and I now receive benefits?

Possibly. If you are staying with your existing lender and not borrowing more, a product transfer often does not require a fresh affordability assessment. Moving to a new lender does, and at that point the same criteria in this guide apply. Speaking to an adviser before your current deal ends gives you the most options.

Next steps

If you receive benefits and you are wondering whether a mortgage is realistic, the most useful thing you can do is find out where you actually stand rather than assume. Being told no by one lender, or by one broker, tells you very little about what the rest of the market would say.

If you would like to talk it through, get in touch with Quanstrom Financial. There is no obligation, and if buying now would not be the right move for you, we will tell you that too.

Written by Toby Quanstrom CeMAP, Director at Quanstrom Financial, a whole-of-market mortgage broker based in Eastbourne, East Sussex.

Lender criteria in this guide were correct as at 19 August 2026 and are reviewed quarterly. This article is general information only and does not constitute personal advice or a recommendation of any lender. Your circumstances will determine what is available to you.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.